In an image forming apparatus, a toner within a developing unit is consumed by the image formation and needs to be supplied. In the case of a two-component developing agent, a magnetic carrier needs to be replaced. Other members within the image forming apparatus, such as a photoconductive body which wears out and deteriorates after a long period of use, a charging unit which becomes dirty due to airborne and scattering toner within the image forming apparatus, and a cleaning blade wears out due to contact with the photoconductive body, also need to be replaced, because images of a character dust, a surface fogging and the like would otherwise be generated. In other words, the members and units described above must be replaced in order to prevent the images of the character dust, the surface fogging and the like from being generated. Accordingly, when the character dust or the like is generated, a service or maintenance person (hereinafter simply referred to as a service person) goes to the setup site of the image forming apparatus of the user, and replaces the members and/or units. However, the durability of each member and unit within the image forming apparatus has improved, and the serviceable life of the developing agent or the like used in the image forming apparatus has also been extended. Consequently, the need for the service person to attend to the maintenance of the image forming apparatus has decreased. On the other hand, when the maintenance person actually attends to the maintenance of the image forming apparatus, it takes an extremely long work time to remove each member or unit within the image forming apparatus and to mount a new member or unit in the image forming apparatus.
Hence, a process cartridge which is detachable with respect to a main body of the image forming apparatus has been proposed. The process cartridge integrally supports a process means such as a charging means, a developing means and a cleaning means. The work time of the service person who attends to the maintenance of the image forming apparatus of the user can be reduced by replacing the process cartridge. In some cases, the user himself can easily replace the process cartridge without requiring the service person to attend to the maintenance by going to the setup site of the image forming apparatus. The serviceable life is different for each member or unit. For example, the serviceable life of the photoconductive body is 10,000 prints to 80,000 prints, the serviceable life of the magnetic carrier in the developing unit is 50,000 prints to 100,000 prints, and the serviceable life of the charting unit is 30,000 prints to 80,000 prints. Conventionally, the user or service person replaces the entire process cartridge regardless of the different serviceable lives of the members and units within the process cartridge. As a result, it is convenient in that the entire process cartridge simply needs to be replaced, but from the point of view of efficiently utilizing the resources, it is inconvenient in that a serviceable member or unit within the process cartridge will be replaced when the serviceable life of one member or unit within the process cartridge ends. From the point of view of the user, there were demands to enable each member or unit usable until the serviceable life thereof ends.
A Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2003-177651 proposes a process cartridge having a cleaning member which removes residual toner on the photoconductive body, and a removed toner accommodating part which accommodates the removed toner. The removed toner accommodating part is provided with a container-shaped cleaning frame body including a first opening confronting the photoconductive body and a second opening located at a position separated from the first opening, a cleaning member substantially covering the first opening, and a lid frame body provided in a periphery of the second opening. A resilient seal member is provided between the lid frame member and a support part of the cleaning member. According to this proposed process cartridge, the size of both the removed toner container and the process cartridge can be reduced, while accommodating a large amount of toner and improving the amount of removed toner that can be accommodated.
A Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2003-186305 proposes a process cartridge having assembled therein a latent image bearing member and at least one process unit. A developing agent supply box and a removed developing agent recovery box communicate with a developing housing which accommodates a developing agent. The developing agent supply box is arranged at a position on an upstream side of a latent image write position on the latent image bearing member, and the removed developing agent recovery box is arranged at a position on a downstream side of the latent image write position.
A Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2001-331082 proposes a process cartridge which integrally includes at least a developing unit, and one of a charging unit, an electrophotography photoconductive body and a cleaning unit of the electrophotography photoconductive body. The process cartridge is detachably loaded with respect to a main body of an image forming apparatus, and has a structure which enables the process cartridge to be hand-held and easily shaken.
A Japanese Published Patent Application No. 7-78667 proposes an image forming apparatus provided with first and second frame bodies, wherein a photoconductive body is removed by turning the frame body.
A Japanese Patent No. 3039693 proposes a process cartridge which enables a charging unit to be removed.
A Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2003-76249 proposes a process cartridge which integrates a developing unit and a photoconductive unit, wherein the developing unit includes a developing means and a toner container, and the photoconductive unit includes a photoconductive drum, a charging means and a cleaning unit.
A Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 8-101624 proposes a process cartridge which is removed after removing a charging means, when replacing a cleaning blade.
A Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 7-302033 proposes a process cartridge having a notifying means, for notifying a number of time used, and provided on a reusable and replaceable part of a process means.
According to the process cartridges proposed in the 8 documents described above, it is possible to integrally replace each of the constituent elements by taking into consideration the reduced size and extended serviceable life of the constituent elements. However, there was a problem in that the image bearing member and each process means forming the process cartridge cannot be easily replaced.